


Springtime in Moscow Isn't What You Think

by Lazchan



Series: Falling Petals [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2018-12-25 14:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12038133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazchan/pseuds/Lazchan
Summary: Yuri takes Yuuri on a proper tour of Moscow. No matter how strange of sights they see, Yuri is just happy to share his city with Yuuri.





	1. Chapter 1

Seeing Yuri in his home city was something different than anything Yuuri had seen before. The moment they had left the airport, Yuri was practically vibrating with excitement. They pulled their bags through the airport, to where a number of taxis were waiting.Yuuri had thought they were take a train, but Yuri pointed out the massive crowd going in and grimaced. “You don’t even want to go in there. Traffic is easier to deal with than being crushed by some dumbass that can’t believe he has to wait.” It wasn’t even a particularly long trip and there was a hint of mischief underneath everything that hinted that Yuri was holding something back. Yuuri was surprised that it wasn’t much colder than it had been in Sapporo; people were still wearing coats and gloves, but there was no snow on the ground like he expected. 

 

Yuri looked baffled. “It doesn’t always snow in Russia,” he said. “At least, not in this part. If it wasn’t snowing in St. Petersburg, what made you think that  _ Moscow  _ would have snow? It’s warmer here.” Warm was a relative term, it wasn’t exactly what Yuuri would deem spring weather, but it was warmer than he thought it would be. “Come on, katsudon. You’ve spent a spring in April before. This shouldn’t be a shock.”

 

“Force of habit?” Yuuri shrugged, but he thought back to that fierce burst of cold weather that had come through when Viktor had come to Hasetsu the first time; he’d almost expected the same thing for when he and Yuri landed in Moscow. 

 

Yuri rolled his eyes, but he quickly pushed Yuuri’s bizarre reasoning to the side as they waited among a crowd of patrons by the taxis. “You’re going to see  _ awesome _ stuff here, katsudon,” Yuri beamed at him. “We’ve got the best places in Moscow, unlike all the boring shit in St. Petersburg.” Even all that time spent away from home, training in St. Petersburg, couldn’t erase his love of home. “People come from all over the world to see the history here.” 

 

“I didn’t think you were big on history, Yura,” Yuuri teased as Yuri pulled and pushed his and Yuuri’s way through the crowd, throwing back his own curses at the people unhappy at being shoved out of the way. It wasn’t as if they were the only ones and the crowd quickly turned on the next group that fought their way to a cab. Their luggage shoved in a trunk and the delicate box carrying his gift to Nikolai in his hands, they settled in for what should have been a short trip to the apartment, but the traffic kept them in one spot for longer than he thought possible.

 

He had plenty of time to look at the passerby as their car was stuck in traffic and he was definitely getting an earful of the less than polite Russian vocabulary, and the shouting combined with the din of the perpetual honking from all the cars around them. Even their cab driver got in on it, but Yuri looked unconcerned at them moving at a snail’s pace, slumping back into the worn seats of the cab. 

 

“Shut up,” Yuri muttered, responding to Yuuri’s comment, the tips of his ears going red. Like anyone from Moscow, he was proud of its long history,  but Yuuri wasn’t finished teasing him yet. 

 

“I can see where you get your fashion, though,” he teased further, pointing out a woman with a leopard-print shawl over tight jeans and a blouse that was secured with a leopard-print belt. “I think I’ve found the female version of you.”

 

Yuri turned his head and smacked Yuuri for the insult. “I look much better than her,” he huffed, bt he was smiling a little. “See, I told you that liking cool stuff like this was normal.” He had never let go of his fashion sense from his earlier years and while it wasn’t as intense and clashing, he still held onto the core of what he thought was ‘awesome’. 

 

Yuuri didn’t respond for several moments and at first, Yuri thought it was just because he was in so much shock that traffic was moving again. “Katsudon?” he asked, poking him in the cheek. “I know I didn’t say anything that shocking.” 

 

“... is it normal that people bring bears with them in Moscow?” Yuuri asked, seemingly out of the blue. 

 

Yuri blinked and stared at him, wondering if the travel had finally cracked Yuuri, but their cab driver started to laugh, recognizing Yuuri’s words, even if he didn’t speak a great deal of English. “Da, they are famous here,” he said, waving his hand towards the side window and Yuri’s struggled to keep his response nonchalant for Yuuri. 

 

“I have  _ never _ seen someone bring out their pet bear onto  Victory Bridge before,” he said, a little awed at the sight, especially when the bear waved at passerby. He kept his tone steady as he flicked through his phone again, but his eyes were trained on Yuuri’s incredulous expression. 

 

“But you’ve … wait, people have  _ pet bears _ in Russia?” Yuuri demanded and Yuri could only laugh at the sputtered words. It was going to be the  _ best  _ trip. 

 

~

 

The cab pulled up in front of his deduska’s apartment much later than it should have ever been, but Moscow traffic was to be expected, even at this time of the day. It was in a fairly decent neighborhood and one that Yuri had made sure was paid through for the next few years so that his deduska could be comfortable. There were cafes and shops and parks nearby and it was a step up from the  _ pyatietazhki  _ sort of building that he had lived in before. Yuri had been determined to make sure the person he loved the most and had raised him was in the most comfortable sort of apartment he could rent. 

 

Yuuri looked up at the blank concrete that was only broken up by the bright colors of clothes and rugs and toys that littered the balconies stretching upward. Yuri tensed, waiting for some sort of comment; sure it wasn’t as nice as the inn where Yuuri grew up, but after a moment, Yuuri smiled a little. “It’s so much nicer than that first place I had in Detroit.” He took Yuri’s hand in his free one and a knot that Yuri hadn’t even been aware of loosened in his chest.

 

“Yeah, well-- America kinda blows for nice places unless you’re robbing a bank or something,” he snorted, grabbing Yuuri’s hand and dragging him through the door of the complex. He was  _ tired _ and hungry and he just wanted to hug his grandpa and and be stuffed full of the food he knew would be waiting, especially since it was known that he was bringing a guest.

 

He wanted to show Yuuri off; Yuuri had met his deduska once before and Yuri had talked about him--but this was different. This was Yuuri coming to his home, to a place that was very personal and private. Yuri had felt at home with Yuuri’s family and wouldn’t admit it-- not yet, at least-- but he had been happy at how easily they had welcomed him in. He only hoped that Yuuri would fill the same way here. 

 

When he let himself in with the key he still had, he nudged at Yuuri to take off his shoes and pointed out the house shoes set out to the side. “There are always extra pairs,” he said in response to Yuuri’s questioning look. “You never know when unexpected guests come by and while  _ you’re _ civilized enough, you get these idiots that think they can just trample over clean flooring with their dirty street shoes…” 

 

Yuuri cringed as he remembered going over to too many houses that didn’t remove their shoes first. It wasn’t like the places were  _ unclean _ , but he always felt guilty at the mess that was going to inevitably be left from everything tracked in. He had been surprised to find that Yuri was absolutely fierce about it and even when he was younger, had never held back with scathing remarks about people’s poor habits in homes that weren’t theirs.

 

Yuri called out something in Russian as he pulled Yuuri further into the house, Yuuri carefully holding onto the package of Sagan Nisiki. It was a thank-you gift, a visitor-gift and Yuuri had never gone to someone’s home without offering them something in return for letting him inside. It just wasn’t  _ right _ to neglect such a thing and he hoped that Yuri’s grandfather would like the small treat. He he could have tried to make or buy something that was Russian, he didn’t think he could do justice enough to someone who  _ was  _ Russian to pull it off. 

 

There was a plethora of delicious smells and Yuuri let himself be dragged into the small kitchen, where a table was already covered with several plates and bowls, soup and piroshki and something bright red that smelled like Christmas in liquid format. There were a few other dishes that he couldn’t name and he looked to Yuri for help, but Yuuri was already hugging his grandfather carefully, his expression open and smile wide and happy in a way that he rarely let anyone see. 

 

Yuuri hung back, uncertain all over again and worried that he was intruding and the rapid-fire Russian that Yuri was speaking was beyond his skill set. He was certain he heard his name and  _ vozlyublennyy _ , which he thought he knew but he was too frazzled and uncertain to ferret out the meaning at the moment. That word had Yuri’s grandpa turning towards him with a wide, surprised smile and Yuuri found himself enveloped in a hug. 

 

“So the boy that my Yurochka has liked for so long has finally realized how much, hm?” he asked. He ignored the way Yuri’s face turned red at the frank words. “I’m glad that he found someone to care for him.” He patted Yuuri on the back. “He did not say so much to me when he called last. He left this for a surprise.”

 

Yuuri was a matching shade to Yuri. “I… uh….” he coughed and looked away. “It’s recent,” he said quickly. “It’s still very new,” his voice was quieter and he was unaware of the soft smile on his face when he glanced towards Yuri. Going from rivals to friends to boyfriends seemed like a logical, easy progression, but saying that Yuri was his boyfriend, even in his head, seemed slightly unreal. 

 

Yuri looked over at him and smirked. “Nothing’s changed, katsudon,” he teased. “Except the fact that I can kiss you now and I won’t end up with you passing out with shock.” 

 

“Depends on how you kiss,” Yuuri shot back, and then gave a horrified look to Nikolai, but he was only met with laughter. 

 

“You are a good match,” he said, thumping him on the back once more and then gesturing to the table. “Sit, sit-- I got the message from Yuri about arriving, everything should still be hot. You should try real Russian meals.” 

 

“I-- oh--” Yuuri handed over the box with only a little fumbling. “Something from home,” he said quickly. “It’s a type of dessert from my home region.” He watched nervously as Nikolai opened it and saw the small cakes nestled inside, individually wrapped and arranged in an elegant pattern. 

 

“You are a thoughtful boy,” Nikolai beamed and said something in Russian to Yuri, who only turned a darker shade of red and he wouldn’t translate the words. He sat down at the table with more grace than he usually did at mealtime, but he was already fixing a plate for Yuuri, who sat down next to him. 

 

Nikolai gave him a reassuring look. “I know you must be careful with your food, but it never hurts to have a little treat. It’s all very good, filling food.” Yuuri had to agree when he inhaled the smell of the mushroom soup and his stomach suddenly growled as loud as Yuri’s did. He fought down his blush and set to try everything that was set out.

 

Nikolai watched him carefully as he ate and made sure he had enough and while it was all delicious, except for a few of the more bizarre items that he took a few bites of, he couldn’t help but worry how much he ate. It was stupid, it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to be training the entire summer and even if he did gain a little weight, it wasn’t as if it was  _ bad _ . He gained weight easily for certain, but he also knew what to do to make sure that he stayed in top torm for skating. He slid an envious gaze towards Yuri, but to his surprise, he had kept his choices as simple as Yuuri did, with only a few more bites here and there. 

 

Yuri didn’t miss the look, either and he rolled his eyes at Yuuri. “I’m not fifteen anymore,” he almost snapped. “I can’t plow through food like I used to without it making an impact.” He took another bite of the golubsty. “I have to be careful.” He smirked a little and poked Yuuri in the side. “Not as much as you,” he teased, “but even I grow up.”

 

Nikolai was watching and huffed. “You think I chose food that will hurt your training?” he asked. “I go to the store, I ask for lean meats-- I hunted for the mushrooms myself and used all fresh food.” He pointed to the piroski. “Even this- this is done in a way to make it good for you. The shopkeepers, they all ask about my health. They worry now that I am an old man.”

 

Yuuri kicked Yuri before he opened his mouth and said that his grandpa was an old man and Yuri glared back at him, before smiling at his grandpa. “I know, I know,” he said quickly. “You’ve always done this for me…” 

 

His grandfather nodded and then smiled broadly. “Ah, now that we have had such a lovely meal, let us try the dessert that Yuuri has brought us.” Yuuri kept back a groan. He was positive that he was either going to explode or fall into a coma after such a rich meal. He was already leaning toward the second, but he kept the smile on his face and let the talk wash over him, in a mix of Russian and English. Yuri was obviously catching up on events missed and Yuuri was just happy to be here. 

 

~

 

It was afterward, when Yuri was promising to his grandfather that they were going to be  _ right next door practically _ , that they were alone again. Yuri had wanted to stay the night, obviously and it was obvious Nikolai felt the same, but it was only a two room apartment and the living room wasn’t set up for sleeping and Yuuri refused to turn someone out of their bed.

 

_ Not to mention how awkward it would be sharing a bed with Yuri in his grandfather’s bed. _

 

Not that they had had sex or anything, but it was still-- the blatant assumption of it all and even being close and having Yuri close to him… Yuuri felt his face flame at the imagery his brain conjured up. 

 

This time they had chosen the train; it was less busy at this time and it was a short ride. Not that it still wasn’t crowded, but Yuuri had dealt with crowded transportation before. He did pause and stare at the beauty of the station they were in; absolutely speechless at the mosaics and pillars. He wasn’t the only tourist to do so; even some of the local residents stopped, looking as proud as if they had designed the area themselves. 

 

Even Yuri paused, looking up at wide space. “Yeah. I forgot,” he said softly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I told you that we have the best stuff here. Even our metro stations beat out anything you’ve got,” he teased. 

 

“Even in crowds,” Yuuri shot back, “and here, it seems to be every man for himself.” Japanese rail stations were staffed by well-meaning people that wanted to cram everyone in like sardines, in Russia, it was more like “don’t  _ try _ and step on someone as you make your way to the car. Yuri hung back enough for the first wave of people to cram in, before grabbing a spot for the two of them near the doors. 

 

“At least you won’t be eating flowers when you breathe in the air from an incoming train,” Yuri could keep up with him all day and by the answering grin on Yuuri’s face, it wasn’t like it was a bad thing. They got odd looks from some of the people closest to them for the English they used, but most people ignored them, huddled into their coats or staring at their phones, only moving when more people pushed in or out. 

 

It really only was a short trip to their hotel; which by now, Yuuri just wanted to collapse into even sub-par bedding and sleep for a day. He let Yuri handle the conversation with the staff, even if there were signs in a multitude of languages, it was always easier to speak in one’s home language in the country it came from. 

 

He let Yuri guide him up to their room and took in the king-sized bed and the bathroom and groaned. “I want to sleep, but I also want a shower,” he muttered, then looked back at Yuri, who was giving him an expectant look. 

 

“Dumbass,” he said fondly, leaning forward to kiss him. “You can do both, just make sure you don’t do both at the same time.” He kept his hand on Yuuri’s, squeezing gently, face close to his as he kissed him again. 

 

“What, you mean you’re not going to retrieve me if I end up sleeping in the shower?” Yuuri asked in mock-surprise. “You don’t want to see me all wet and at a disadvantage?” He had the honor of seeing Yuri turn the color of a ripe tomato and sputter, caught off guard and absolutely speechless for once. 

 

“Jeez, I didn’t realize you were such a pervert,” he huffed, the blush going down, but his ears still burned. “Get clean and don’t hog all the hot water,” he kept pushing towards the bathroom. “I want to get clean, too.”

 

“Pervert… I… “ Now it was Yuuri’s turn to flush and he practically ran for the bathroom, slamming the door shut, without grabbing anything to change into except the robe that was thoughtfully hanging from a hook on the inside of the door. 

 

Yuri shook his head, breathing deeply and trying to erase the image out of his mind; it wasn’t easy, especially after the shower started. Yuuri just  _ did _ things and he didn’t mean to and it was going to wreck him. 

 

“Why did I fall in love with the idiot?” he whispered, laughing to himself as he heard Yuuri singing something in Japanese while in the shower. Even with the weird acoustics that showers sometimes tended to have, he still managed to sound good.  _ He probably doesn’t even realize... _

 

“Well, that’s one reason,” he huffed, flopping back on one of the chairs, unwilling to dirty the sheets while he was still covered in travel sweat. Yuuri never realized his own appeal half the time and that just meant that everything he did was genuine. Even when he had been dealing with him at a surly fifteen, he hadn’t ever been false. 

 

Soon enough the shower ended and the singing was a little more audible now before cutting off all together and Yuuri emerged, hair damp and curling around his face, encased in a robe that had to be at least two sizes too big for him. He looked like a child trying on his parents clothes and Yuri let the laughter come to the front, to hide the way his cheeks flushed at Yuuri being just what he teased at being.  _ All wet and being at a disadvantage… _

 

“You seem happy,” he finally said, once Yuuri finished toweling his hair and pouting at him. “You were singing…” he let his voice trail off and Yuuri blushed and looked the other way. 

 

“I… I guess I am,” he said softly. “I’m glad that your grandpa likes me. I was half-afraid I was going to get a lecture about being too old for you or not treating you right or any number of things, like not being Russian.”

 

Yuri rolled his eyes so hard he thought he was going to sprain something. “Dedsuka’s known about you for the last three years,” he said. “He’s the one that made the katsudon piroski, because I told him about you. He’s seen you skate and it’s not like I never talked about you.”

 

“Oh really?” Yuuri faced him directly now, a hint of a smile on his face. “What sort of things do you talk about?”

 

“About how you’re an idiot,” Yuri snapped, but he snuck a kiss anyway before he stood up. What he had said earlier was true; nothing changed, not the insults or teasing or anything else, except he got to kiss Yuuri. “But he knows that I only talk about people I like and don’t believe him about him being shocked. He’s been asking if we were dating a year ago.”

 

Leaving Yuuri to stew on that, Yuri hummed happily to himself as he took his own turn getting clean and ready for the night. 

 

~

 

When they were curled up in bed together, wanting to rest after the long travels of the day, Yuri kept his fingers wrapped around Yuuri’s. “I’m glad you’re finally getting a chance to see my part of Russia,” he admitted. “Sochi and St. Petersburg…”

 

Yuuri had to laugh a little. “I have been in Moscow before,” he reminded him, “just not like how you showed me today. We never dealt with the traffic like we did and I never saw bears…” 

 

“Yeah, because you were too weird that first year and you didn’t compete in Rostelecom after that,” he snorted. “You stayed glued to either the arena or your hotel room and that wasn’t Moscow.”

 

“Apparently Moscow is stuffing your visitor until he can’t walk and pet bears on the roadway?” Yuuri snickered. “You’ll have to show me more tomorrow, Yura.” His voice softened near the end. “I want to see the Moscow that you love so much.”

 

“Hmph, don’t make it sound like I’m a complete sap or something,” Yuri muttered, but he pulled Yuuri closer, resting his free hand on the soft, fluffy strands of Yuuri’s hair.  “I’ll show you everything,” he promised. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip around Moscow continues, with Yuri showing to Yuuri his special memories from when he was a child.

Yuri woke up slowly, a little disoriented at the weight on top of him, tensing a little until his brain kicked into gear and reminded him that it was Yuuri that was pressed so close to him. Yuuri was still dead asleep, breath soft against his neck and hair tickling his skin. Since no one was watching him, he was able to relax and smile down at Yuuri, only willing to admit how happy he was without anyone to make fun of him for it. 

 

_ Not that Yuuri would... _ Old habits died hard, though and he had spent too many of his teenage years being mocked and teased for showing emotions other than his prickly attitude. Even that got a wide set of teasing, but that never hurt him as much as letting his more vulnerable side show. The only ones who had seen much of that was Potya and his deduska. He could probably let Yuuri see more of it, but it was more fun to fall into the familiar routine of teasing and riling Yuuri up. He liked to see Yuuri think of devious ways to get him back, for the both of them fight to outdo the other in all things, whether it was skating or teasing or showing off their respective homes. 

 

Remembering Yuuri’s reaction to the bear, his body shook as he tried to muffle his laughter. He had definitely won that round, even if Yuuri had still won the surprise and biggest sap for the little flowers inside his bouquet at Worlds. He didn’t suppress his laughter enough and Yuuri blinked open sleepy brown eyes, a confused smile on his face as he looked up at Yuri. “And here I thought you’d be pinning me down with your cat-weight,” he mumbled, rubbing his face into Yuri’s chest and Yuri could  _ feel _ the smirk as Yuuri hid his face. 

 

_ The first thing he does when he wakes up is tease me… _ Yuri was impressed that Yuuri managed such a feat and only took a moment to soak it in before poking Yuuri in the side. “You better not have started with that and gone right back to sleep,” he threatened. “We didn’t come to Moscow so you could sleep the day away in a hotel.” 

 

“What if I’m admiring the view?” Yuuri lifted his head, looking up at Yuri, expression as open as it ever was. “It’s not something I’m used to yet.” When Yuri was caught speechless, Yuuri stole a kiss and then moved out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. “What, aren’t you going to get ready?”

 

“You are going to be detrimental to my health,” Yuri muttered, flopping back in the bed and waving a hand. “You start, I’ll be there in a moment.” He was already running through his plans for the day; he wanted to show Yuuri so many things about his beloved city, even if he got to see what he considered the ‘real’ Moscow with the trains and the traffic and the fashion. He wanted to take Yuuri along the shopping boulevards and dress him in real street fashion and then to the places that meant the most to him. 

 

_ Yuuri _ mean that much to him, even if he was loathe to admit it out loud. Even as a friend, a rival and fellow rinkmate, he had meant that much. Now that the shift in their relationship had started, it meant that he wanted to share more of what was important to him.  _ Even if I threaten him to keep his mouth shut about some of the stuff I want to show him…. _ Yuri wasn’t one to show his heart easily, even to those he trusted and letting someone know of the things that meant the most to him was the hardest of all. 

 

Yuuri came back out, fully dressed, causing Yuri to blink a little in confusion; he hadn’t realized that Yuuri was that body shy  _ or _ that he had grabbed his clothing for the day. Not that he was some creepy voyeur looking to get off on his… boyfriend…getting dressed, but it irked him that he had been so lost in his head that he hadn’t noticed. 

 

“Come on, Yura…” Yuuri leaned over, eyes bright. “I know don’t want to spend all day in bed.” He made a show of looking around. “To start with, there aren’t any convenient sunbeams for you to lay in.”

 

“One day you’re going to come up with more original jokes than comparing me to a cat,” Yuri muttered, but he sat up slowly and stretched, eyes on Yuuri the entire time. “You and the rest of the world…”

 

“It’s so easy, though,” Yuuri grinned. “Especially when you bristle and hiss when someone tweaks your tail the wrong way.” 

 

“And now you’re doing  _ puns, _ ” Yuri groaned, throwing a pillow at Yuuri. “That’s it, I’m not going to date you any longer. Privilege revoked.”  

 

Yuuri looked startled for half of an instant and then leaned forward to flick Yuri’s nose. “You get to tell your grandpa that,” he grinned, pulling Yuri to his feet with the remark. “C’mon, don’t laze about anymore, let’s go.” His eyes were shining brightly at the prospect of exploring a whole new area with someone that he cared for so much. 

 

“What happened to lazy Yuuri that liked to sleep in?” Yuri groused, but a smile twitched up one corner of his mouth. “He was very nice to wake up to this morning.”

 

“You can have that tonight,” Yuuri smirked and something about the shift in his expression made Yuri’s heart turn over. “You promised me that we were going to see more of Moscow today and it better somehow top the bear on the motorbike.” 

 

“That was something special to get you used to how awesome Moscow is,” Yuri huffed, grabbing for his clothes and smirking back at Yuuri. “You’ll have to deal with a different kind of cool today.” He was still uncertain; he wanted to share his favorite places with Yuuri, but the ones of his childhood weren’t ‘flashy’ as some of the sights of the cities they visited.  _ I hope he won’t be disappointed. _

 

_ ~ _

 

Yuri kept his hands in his pockets as he watched Yuuri's reaction. In his opinion, the zoo was one of the best places to visit; he has come here all the time as a kid, before Yakov had scouted him and he moved to St. Petersburg. It wasn't flashy or anything, but it has been the first place he had seen the big tigers up close and as a kid, it had left a deep impression on him. 

 

_ “Yurochka, the zoo tries to rescue and raise all sorts of animals, like the tigers here. They give them a good home and prepare them for either a safe life or to release them back in the wild.  Too many bad people wanted to hurt the animals…” _

 

After that, Yuri had been fierce in wanting to protect the wildcats; it helped that they were  _ awesome  _ on their own and when he was younger, anyone with ears heard about it. Even when he moved away from his precious zoo and the leopard he had ‘adopted’, he babbled to Yakov about sending away some of his winnings to the zoo. 

 

“Is that your name?” Yuuri squinted at the Cyrillic letters on the small plaque next to ‘Donors’ and Yuri had to grin at Yuuri's doubtful tone.  After three years of knowing Yuri and the two years in Russia, he was starting to get the hang of it. Of course, Yuri thought the Юрий Плисецкий was obvious, but he still fought with how weird Japanese letters were, so he was willing to let it slide.  

 

“Yeah...whenever I had extra that I wasn't giving to my deduska or skating fees, I would send it here. They need all the help they can get with the cats, money can be a bit...tight when it comes to the wild animals.” He glared at Yuuri. “Don't go telling anyone else. The only other person at our rink that knows is Yakov and that's because I needed his help at the beginning.”

 

Yuuri held up his hands in self-defense, but there was a soft smile on his face. “I wouldn’t say a word,” he promised. “I’m just proud that I was able to read your name and  _ you’re _ the one that confirmed that it was you and the reason.” 

 

Yuri’s face blanched as he realized Yuuri’s words, then snorted. “I’d like to say you would have figured it out, but you can barely speak Russian,” he held out a hand, cheeks faintly warming. “Although you’ve gotten a lot better,” he allowed. “Maybe we can let you go alone in public and not worry about losing you in a mafia ring somewhere.”

 

“I have been shopping out alone before,” Yuuri said dryly. “I couldn’t stay attached to everyone’s hand whenever I had the urge to eat something other than what protein shake was on the menu that day.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You should give me a little more credit, Yura,” he chided. “I have been in Russia for enough time now to have picked something up.”

 

“You haven’t been there as long as you think,” Yuri argued back, grabbing Yuuri’s hand and dragging him along to the cat enclosures. Now that it was warm out, the tigers were roaming their area more, coming up to the fences to examine the curious visitors. “With all the competitions and such…” he scowled faintly in the distance. “And we’ve been easy with you at the rink, mostly using English.” 

 

“Mm… true,” Yuuri conceded the point, wrapping his fingers around Yuri’s and squeezing gently. “It’s probably a good thing,” he admitted. “I know enough Russian to get in trouble and these days, it’s gets all mixed up in my head with the Japanese and English that I already knew.” He made a face. “I tried to apologize in a language that wasn’t even related the ones I  _ know _ when I was at the coffee shop at the airport.”

 

“See?” Yuri asked smugly. “It just means that I need to stick by you more and make sure you don’t get into trouble.” He had been doing something like that for the past few years, but not on the scale that he wanted to do now and it was almost overwhelming the scale he wanted to keep Yuuri close to him. 

 

“You would get tired of that before long,” Yuuri’s voice was teasing, but there was an undercurrent there that ticked along Yuri’s senses.  “We do have separate competitions a lot of the time and I  _ really _ can't see Yakov letting you fly off on a whim again just to literally kick sense into me.”

 

“Only when you're in Russia,” Yuri huffed, but there was a wicked smile on his face.  “Although I don't make any promises, it seemed to work so well the first couple of times I did it; I hate to ruin a good thing.”

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile on his face. “Yeah, you're really good at that sort of thing.” He kept close to Yuri the rest of the time they were with the large cats, Yuri eager to show them off and extol their virtues. 

 

There were a startling variety of cats there, more than the tigers and leopards that Yuuri expected, but Yuuri had trouble putting names to all the cats, even if Yuri could list them off without even thinking about it. “I wanted to adopt more than just the Amur Leopard,” he said, staring down at the ground, “but it’s pretty expensive taking care of them, you know? I try and save up the rubles I need for the individual contribution every year…” 

 

“Why don't you want anyone to know?” Yuuri asked, once Yuri was finally able to drag himself away from the cat enclosures.  “I can't imagine that they would make fun of you…”

 

Yuri shrugged, ears hot. “Even you still give me shit about cats. The rest of them have been doing it for years and they're a lot worse. I don't need them prying into my personal life, either.” He had told Otabek, but Otabek wasn't ever with Yakov’s skaters and was more closed-mouthed than Yuuri was. 

 

Yuuri was quiet for a moment, his expression a little sad, but understanding. “Well, I'm glad you trust me enough to show me something this important.” 

 

Yuri nodded, throat tight with the emotion that Yuuri understood how hard it was to let this much show. Even if things between them had tilted over a line he never thought he would get a chance to cross, old habits died hard and his walls had been put up a long time ago.

 

More often than not, they would stop in front of the cats enclosures, taking pictures and Yuuri took every opportunity that Yuri was distracted by something the big cats would do to fill his own camera roll with pictures of Yuri being absolutely in his element. 

 

The wandered through the rest of the exhibits and enclosures, stopping by various kiosks along the way to grab bites of food, enough to quiet their stomachs before finding somewhere to relax and eat and as much as he wanted to, he knew it would be easier on his deduska to eat there at dinner instead of lunch, so the meal wouldn't be so involved. 

 

By the time they left, Yuri was holding the bag containing a huge plush of the leopard he loved so much and Yuuri knew that even if Yuri had to ship something else home, the cat was coming with him. 

 

~

 

They were pressed close together on the metro, Yuri still holding on to his bag from the zoo, not paying attention to any looks that he may have gotten, except to glare away anyone that stepped too close to them. They were heading to a spot where Yuri had stated ‘can get you wearing fashion suitable for Moscow.’

 

“Even though we’re not staying in Moscow?” Yuuri asked, amused at the insistence Yuri held in the matter. “I'm surprised you didn't haul me off to a shopping mall before you met me out in public.”

 

“You don't look completely hopeless,” Yuri smirked, “but you wouldn't look half bad in something super cool like what I wear, either.”

 

“I don't think anyone can pull off leopard print the same way you can.” Yuuri looked down at his own ensemble and compared it to what Yuri was wearing.  It was a vast contrast, but Yuuri hadn’t always thought  a lot about his appearance unless it was for skating.   _ Maybe that could change... _ “Next time we’re in Japan, I'll show you Harajuku and street fashion in Tokyo. For now, let's see what you have in Moscow. It can’t be any more bizarre than Tokyo, after all.”

 

Yuri smirked as the garbled announcement for Okhotny station came over the speakers; it was the closest stop to get to the store he was aiming for.. Yuuri frowned as he tried to decipher the name, as if it would give him a clue to what Yuri had planned. It would have been a miracle if he could have even understood the words over the burst of static.  “Just wait and see.” 

 

~

 

Normally, they would have come out along Manezhnaya Square, already filled with a crowd of people moving on all directions. Instead, Yuri dragged Yuuri along until they reached the connecting passageway from station to the Okhotny Ryad shopping plaza.

 

Yuuri blinked at the expanse of shops, then a broad smile stretched across his face. “It’s like the station shops in Japan!” Yuri smirked and turned him around to see the maze of shops.  “... or not.” The ones in the stations were more of a straight line instead of the bewildering jumble, but it was still reminiscent of home.

 

“Yeah, if you didn't have me here, you'd never make it through,” Yuri grinned. “Only true Muscovites can navigate Okhotny.” He did want to get something more street stylish for Yuuri, but also wanted to make sure that they had time for his real surprise and that involved going to one of the nicer shops and really dressing Yuuri up. It was something that he and Viktor actually agreed on; Yuuri's attempt to wear formal wear was abysmal and  _ boring. _

 

“And you'd get lost along the back streets of Tokyo,” Yuuri shot back, but he had to laugh at comparing winding streets of a centuries old city to a mall. 

 

“Next time you can lord it over me. Today is my day.” Yuri wasted no time in dragging Yuuri through the crowds, purposely ignoring the speculative looks the two of them received.  In a crowd this massive and in such a large tourist area, it was easier to blend in, but Yuuri was in a class all of his own and more than one person gave him an appreciative (and completely unnoticed) look as they went by. He didn’t even need high fashion, the jeans and close-fitted shirt he was wearing was enough. 

 

Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t take Yuuri through his favorite stores and brands-- one way or another, he was going to show Yuuri that he could look good in any sort of style. He got a number of pictures; ones that he wasted no time in uploading and tagging. It was only moments after that he notifications went off, includings hearts from Viktor and a string of teasing from MIla. 

 

After Yuuri had stopped blushes at some of the more suggestive comments from Mila’s helpfully provided English for him,  Yuri pulled him into a higher end shop, where there were a lot of snotty sales associates and only so many racks of clothing set out. Yuuri looked around, wincing a little. “Don’t tell me you’re in on the conspiracy about my suits,” he said, sounding almost resigned. 

 

“Of course I am,” Yuri smirked over at him. “You seem to have lost your sense of taste a few years ago when it comes to suits. You don’t always have to wear the same thing, even if it hasn’t worn itself out yet.” His expression softened slightly; he understood frugality. “It’s okay to get something really nice for yourself, Yuuri. I know those sponsors of yours would be fighting with each other to get you into one of their clothing lines and you  _ can _ keep the clothes, you know.” 

 

“My sponsors are in Japan and I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet,” Yuuri looked faintly embarrassed. “A lot more of them came out of the woodwork when I won the last Grand Prix, but I mean, even I did have them, did you see me dragging around a suit?”

 

“The one you wore to the banquet was the same one you wore when we first met,” Yuri rolled his eyes. “Don’t try and pull one over on me.” He gestured around and scowled at the suspiciously absent shop workers. “You better pick out something or else I’ll pick it out for you. You’ll need it while we’re here.” 

 

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Yuuri muttered. “We didn’t even dress up all that much for your grandpa.” He took a few steps towards the suits, his expression of longing hard to hide. He really did like to dress well, but years of saving and scrimping and using every bit of money for coaching fees, skates and travel, it was hard to splurge enough to buy something so  _ nice _ for himself. He hadn’t even gone home during breaks while he was at university, because of the cost that would have been involved. 

 

“Why this shop?” Yuuri asked warily, sensing there was something that Yuri wasn’t saying and the talk about sponsors made him nervous.

 

“Because it has nice suits that aren’t going to drain your bank account?” Yuri shrugged. “It’s an outlet store of one of the more popular brands and the stuff isn’t totally off the wall like some of the stuff that’s coming out.” He pushed Yuuri in front of a dark blue suit, with a barely visible plaid pattern woven into the fabric. “Hunt down a shop worker, look cute and try this on.” He looked over Yuuri seriously. “Even if you are short for a Russian, this should fit you and I know they do on-site tailoring here.” 

 

“... there’s still something you’re not telling me,” Yuuri muttered, but he took touched the suit gently, turning it over and feeling the material. “You have a good eye, Yura,” he murmured. “I actually think I wouldn't look bad in this.”

 

As if either his words or simply touching the fabric was a sign, a worker appeared out of nowhere next to the two of them. “I can show you to a dressing area.” His English  was almost devoid of an accent, clear and crisp and that threw Yuuri almost as much as if he had used Russian. 

 

Yuuri turned another suspicious look on Yuri as he spoke in rapid fire Russian to another associate, gesturing once to Yuuri before the man assisting  him led him away to get helped into the suit. Yuuri shook his head quickly when they would have literally done that, electing to get dressed himself. He conceded enough to get measured for specific tailoring, before showing it off to Yuri, cheeks faintly pink. 

 

The man with Yuri gave him an approving look before turning back and continuing whatever conversation that they had been having. Yuuri smiled a little at the Russian word for sponsor.   _ It's good that Yura is taking the opportunity to secure something for himself while we're here. _

 

Yuri gave him a wicked grin. “You make it look very good, Yuuri. The staff here thinks you  _ can  _ pull off their brand. They're willing to let us have the suits off our choice as long as we take a few pictures to promote them.”

 

“The….the both of us?” Yuuri resisted the urge to tug on the suit, he hadn't even paid for it yet. “Yura, I thought you were talking about something just for  _ you _ .”

 

“They're an international brand, you're skating with the Russian team, and you're fucking hot in a suit, Yuuri.” Yuri stepped close to adjust the lapels and flicked his nose. “Of course they want you showing off their clothing.” 

 

Yuuri felt his cheeks burn, but the last part was delivered in Japanese and the staff didn't seem to understand the words. Yuuri was profoundly grateful for the small miracle.  “Where's your suit, then?” 

 

“I wanted to see you first,” Yura was still close to him and Yuuri tilted his face up to smile up at Yuri. “Can't try and style myself if you weren't going to be able to match.”

 

There was a lot unsaid, but Yuuri took the teasing words in stride. “Well now that you know how good I can look, let's see if you can outdo me.” It was always a challenge between them, even with something as innocuous as this. 

 

Yuri’s smile broadened at the words. “I already have just the suit in mind.” He finally stepped back. “So do you want to?” he asked. 

 

Yuuri blinked, caught off balance and trying to recall the original question and Yuri huffed out a laugh. “The sponsorship.” He was an utter contrast to Yuuri at the moment, still in tight jeans and a leopard print shirt, but still looked completely sure of himself.  “I think we should do it.”

 

The staff member that understood English nodded quickly. “We would very much appreciate it.” He said quickly. “You two are two top skaters, even if this one--” he gestured to Yuuri, “still does not skate for our wonderful country.” 

 

Yuri muffled a snicker at Yuuri’s baffled look, but gently patted Yuuri on the arm. “Don’t take all night about it, Yuuri. You’re getting the suit whether or not you agree to a sponsorship or not. If it worries you that much, Viktor already agreed; he’s worked with brands like this before and he practically jumped at the chance to see you in something that shows you off properly.” He didn’t mention how Viktor had joked about burning all of Yuuri’s ugly suits and ties in celebration to be able to dress him up. 

 

Yuuri ran a hand through his hair and sighed, finally nodding. “Alright... I trust you and Viktor to work through the negotiations.” He didn’t say it was because he didn’t trust his Russian enough for something as important as a contract; but Viktor also had a great deal more experience in sponsorships and would know the best way to handle things. 

 

“No obligation for the event you go to,” Yuuri turned to the side, tilting his head. “We want you to enjoy yourself in our comfortable, stylish clothing; just if someone asks-- let them know our brand.” That was somewhat standard if it didn’t come with an obvious logo, such as with Lotte. It was good that this  _ was _ an international brand’ Yuuri didn’t want to think of both the logistical nightmare and the shame of explaining to Japan why he was picking up a sponsor in Moscow.

 

Yuri squeezed his hand and went off in his own direction as Yuuri finished getting out of his suit so that it could be tailored, wondering just what else Yuri had planned for the night. 

 

They had a brief stop at their hotel to hang up the newly tailored suits; for whatever purpose that Yuri had planned. Yuuri was still suspicious, but Yuri looked so happy over his little secret that he wasn’t going to press him for it. Yuri also left his newly acquired ‘cat’, since it was going to be a pain to continue to carry it around. He took it out of the packaging, however and laid it in the middle of the bed. Yuuri hid a smile at how it took up a good portion of the bed. 

 

~

 

After a meal with Yuri’s grandfather and a promise to spend more of the day with him tomorrow, Yuri took Yuuri off to one of the most important places in his childhood; Hermitage Gardens. 

 

It was busier than Yuuri would have expected for the time of night it was; but there was still large crowds of people, walking around the exhibits, ducking around street musicians and filling the area with a variety of languages. 

 

“It’s nicer in the winter,” Yuri said, leading Yuuri along to where the skating rink was normally, but now that it was later in the year, they were left with greenery interspersed with piles of slush. “The rink is open as long as everything’s frozen solid and they have lights strung up around the archway.” The lights were still up and there was a stand selling hot drinks. “I used to go when I was a kid,” he said softly. “Before Yakov scouted me and I moved to St. Petersburg, I’d skate with my deduska.” There was a longer pause. “During the summer, we’d watch my mother dance on the stage.” 

 

Yuuri hoped his expression wasn’t too curious, but Yuri caught sight of it and snorted. “It’s been a long time since she took care of me,” he said, expression far away. “I hardly remember her as my  _ mother _ , because deduska was the one that took care of me for as long as I remember. He came to as my competitions as he could; he was the one that bought me my first pair of skates.” His tone turned wistful. “Still, watching my mother, I understood a little about how to  _ dance _ .” 

 

Yuuri didn’t ask what happened to her; if she was still even in the picture, but since he had never seen any hint of her during any of Yuri’s competitions, he was guessing she wasn’t a part of his life, even now. Lilia had been more of a mother figure to Yuri, even if it would be a lost cause to even suggest it to him. 

 

It was nice enough to just walk around and have Yuri point out the different areas that had resonated with him so strongly as a child. Yuuri wanted to see it in the daylight, but it was easy and  _ nice _ to be part of the couples that moved around the pathways. Sometimes, it caught up with him all at once that they could define their relationship as something more and other times it felt like it had been leading to it the entire time. 

 

It was difficult to say ‘love’; it was such a huge word, with a weight of meaning behind it. He caught himself staring at a couple kissing in the frame of a metal-worked heart, then quickly looked away. He and Yuri had gotten off to a rocky start; Yuri going from an angry and brash teenager to a steady rink mate. It had shifted so subtly over the years that Yuuri didn’t realize that the close friendship that had developed had gently turned into something more. 

 

 _‘Nothing’s_ _changed except I get to kiss you now._ ’ Yuri’s earlier words ran through his head and he wondered just how long Yuri had wanted to do just that. Now wasn’t the time to ask; not when they were still teetering on the edge of it all. It was enough that Yuri felt the same way about him that he did about Yuri. 

 

He was about to touch on it anyway; unsure for a moment, when the first firework went off, distracting him. “First fireworks of the season,” he said softly. “It’s tradition to see them in the park… at least it was when I was a kid.” The redness of his cheeks could barely be made out. “I like the idea of starting it again with you, Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri was left wondering just what Yuri had planned tomorrow that could top this. 

 

~

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't forgotten about this fic! I just got a bit distracted and then I momentarily lost my focus for this. XD I hope you all are still reading and enjoying. The next chapter should be the last. I also got caught up in doing a stupid amount of research, down to the shopping plaza, the stations and the animals at the Moscow Zoo.


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